Hello,
My name is Patrick, www.postcrossing.com/user/Gersyko, living in south-west of France.
I like to collect postcards with official postcrossing but also in direct swapping.
So this site is a way to show you the cards I can offer for trade.
As you see, it is not only an album as I like to tell something about the sites on the cards.
If interested in direct swapping send me a message to gersyko@gmail.com.
Thanks.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Episcopal city of ALBI - The Old City of Albi, Toulouse-Lautrec




Reference : FR116

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art et d'Histoire
1- La Basilique Sainte-Cécile XIIIème Siècle, dominant le Palais de la Berbie (Musée Toulouse Lautrec), le Pont-Vieux XI7me siècle, le Tarn. 2- Aristide Buant par Toulouse-Lautrec, célèbre artiste albigeois né en 1864 en l'hôtel du Bosc"


Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



The old city of Albi


Albi is located in southern France, in the Tarn department, on the River Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians (French : Albigeois/ Albigeoise(s)). It was the seat of the Archbishop of Albi.

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares and is registered on UNESCO list. Red brick and tiles are the main feature of most of the edifices.

Along with Toulouse and Montauban, Albi is one of the main cities built in Languedoc-style red brick .

Among the buildings of the town is the Sainte Cécile cathedral, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is characterised by a strong contrast between its austere, defensive exterior and its sumptuous interior decoration. Built as a statement of the Christian faith after the upheavals of the Cathar heresy , this gigantic brick structure was embellished over the centuries: the Dominique de Florence Doorway, the 78 m high bell tower the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515–1540). The rood screen is a veritable filigree work in stone in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It is decorated with a magnificent group of polychrome statuary carved by artists from the Burgundian workshops of Cluny and comprising over 200 statues which have retained their original colours.

Older than the Palais des Papes in Avignon, the Palais de la Berbie, formerly the Bishops' Palace of Albi, now the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, is one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France. This imposing fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century. Its name comes from the Occitan word Bisbia, meaning Bishops' Palace.

The Old Bridge (Pont Vieux) is still in use today after almost a millennium of existence. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on 8 arches and is 151m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified, reinforced with a drawbridge and houses were built on the piers.

TOULOUSE-LAUTREC

Albi is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. More than 1000 works, including the 31 famous posters, are kept within the walls. This body of work forms the largest public collection in the world devoted to Toulouse-Lautrec.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (24 November 1864 – 9 September 1901) was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an œuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern and sometimes decadent life of those times. Toulouse-Lautrec is known along with Cézanne, Van Gogh, and Gauguin as one of the greatest painters of the Post-Impressionist period.

  1. Sainte-Cécile Basilica, 13th century, overlooking Palais de la Berbie (Toulouse Lautrec museum), The 11th century Pont-Vieux, the Tarn.
  2. Aristide Buant by Toulouse-Lautrec, the famous Albigensian artist born at the Bosc mansion in 1864.



UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - The Old City of Albi




Reference : FR115

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art et d'Histoire"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



The old city of Albi


Albi is located in southern France, in the Tarn department, on the River Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians (French : Albigeois/ Albigeoise(s)). It was the seat of the Archbishop of Albi.

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares and is registered on UNESCO list. Red brick and tiles are the main feature of most of the edifices.

Along with Toulouse and Montauban, Albi is one of the main cities built in Languedoc-style red brick .

Among the buildings of the town is the Sainte Cécile cathedral, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is characterised by a strong contrast between its austere, defensive exterior and its sumptuous interior decoration. Built as a statement of the Christian faith after the upheavals of the Cathar heresy , this gigantic brick structure was embellished over the centuries: the Dominique de Florence Doorway, the 78 m high bell tower the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515–1540). The rood screen is a veritable filigree work in stone in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It is decorated with a magnificent group of polychrome statuary carved by artists from the Burgundian workshops of Cluny and comprising over 200 statues which have retained their original colours.

Older than the Palais des Papes in Avignon, the Palais de la Berbie, formerly the Bishops' Palace of Albi, now the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, is one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France. This imposing fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century. Its name comes from the Occitan word Bisbia, meaning Bishops' Palace.

The Old Bridge (Pont Vieux) is still in use today after almost a millennium of existence. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on 8 arches and is 151m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified, reinforced with a drawbridge and houses were built on the piers.

Albi is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. More than 1000 works, including the 31 famous posters, are kept within the walls. This body of work forms the largest public collection in the world devoted to Toulouse-Lautrec.






UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - The Old City of Albi




Reference : FR114

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art et Centre de Tourisme"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



The old city of Albi


Albi is located in southern France, in the Tarn department, on the River Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called Albigensians (French : Albigeois/ Albigeoise(s)). It was the seat of the Archbishop of Albi.

Albi was built around the original cathedral and episcopal group of buildings. This historic area covers 63 hectares and is registered on UNESCO list. Red brick and tiles are the main feature of most of the edifices.

Along with Toulouse and Montauban, Albi is one of the main cities built in Languedoc-style red brick .

Among the buildings of the town is the Sainte Cécile cathedral, a masterpiece of the Southern Gothic style, built between the 13th and 15th centuries. It is characterised by a strong contrast between its austere, defensive exterior and its sumptuous interior decoration. Built as a statement of the Christian faith after the upheavals of the Cathar heresy , this gigantic brick structure was embellished over the centuries: the Dominique de Florence Doorway, the 78 m high bell tower the Baldaquin over the entrance (1515–1540). The rood screen is a veritable filigree work in stone in the Flamboyant Gothic style. It is decorated with a magnificent group of polychrome statuary carved by artists from the Burgundian workshops of Cluny and comprising over 200 statues which have retained their original colours.

Older than the Palais des Papes in Avignon, the Palais de la Berbie, formerly the Bishops' Palace of Albi, now the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, is one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France. This imposing fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century. Its name comes from the Occitan word Bisbia, meaning Bishops' Palace.

The Old Bridge (Pont Vieux) is still in use today after almost a millennium of existence. Originally built in stone (in 1035), then clad with brick, it rests on 8 arches and is 151m long. In the 14th century, it was fortified, reinforced with a drawbridge and houses were built on the piers.

Albi is the home of the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum. More than 1000 works, including the 31 famous posters, are kept within the walls. This body of work forms the largest public collection in the world devoted to Toulouse-Lautrec.






UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - The Berbie Palace




Reference : FR113

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - Ville d'Art, centre de tourisme
Ancien Palais archiépiscopal de la Berbie
(Musée Toulouse Lautrec)
Les jardins suspendus dominant le Tarn"


Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



The Berbie Palace

Older than the Palais des Papes in Avignon, the Palais de la Berbie, formerly the Bishops' Palace of Albi, now the Toulouse-Lautrec Museum, is one of the oldest and best-preserved castles in France.
Its name comes from the Occitan word Bisbia, meaning Bishops' Palace.
An imposing Bishop's Palace

This imposing fortress was completed at the end of the 13th century . It was both the temporal and spiritual manifestation of the Bishops of Albi.
It is particularly interesting from the architectural point of view :
  • an enormous keep, 50m high, flanked at the four corners by towers, three of which are solid throughout,
  • walls 7 metres thick at the base,
  • ramparts.

Over the centuries, the Bishops transformed this stronghold into an elegant residence with a slate roof. They created vast reception rooms, terraces and French-style gardens masking the bulky appearance of the building, and added a Renaissance wing.

A remarkable garden

During the reign of Louis XIV, in 1678, the gardens were commissioned by the first Archbishop of Albi, Hyacinthe Serroni, on the lines of the French-style garden .

These gardens occupy the former site of the Bishops' Garrison and add to the beauty of the whole place. Overlooked by the former sentry-walk, they now afford a panoramic view of the banks of the Tarn .

The Palais de la Berbie and its gardens are one of the most-visited sights of the city.





UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - Sainte-Cécile Basilica




Reference : FR112

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - La basilique Sainte Cécile (XIIIème s.)
dominant le Palais de la Berbie de nuit"


Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



Albi cathedral



Albi Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi (in full, Albi-Castres-Lavaur).

The present cathedral was preceded by other buildings. The first dated from the fourth century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the thirteenth century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.

The Gothic cathedral which we see today was constructed in brick between 1282 to 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy and the brutal crusade which suppressed it, with great loss of life. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the cathedral's dominant presence and fortress-like exterior were intended to convey the power and authority of the Christian faith.

The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. Notable architectural features include the bell-tower (added in 1492), which stands 78 meters tall, and the doorway by Dominique de Florence (added circa 1392).

The elaborate interior stands in stark contrast to the cathedral's military exterior. The central chœur, reserved for members of the religious order, is surrounded by a roodscreen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgement, attributed to unknown Flemish painters, originally covered nearly 200 m² (the central area was later removed). The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France.

The cathedral organ, the work of the artist Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.




UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - Sainte-Cécile Basilica




Reference : FR111

NOT AVAILABLE FOR TRADE AT THE MOMENT
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - La basilique Sainte Cécile (XIIIème s.)
dominant le Palais de la Berbie"


Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



Albi cathedral



Albi Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi (in full, Albi-Castres-Lavaur).

The present cathedral was preceded by other buildings. The first dated from the fourth century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the thirteenth century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.

The Gothic cathedral which we see today was constructed in brick between 1282 to 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy and the brutal crusade which suppressed it, with great loss of life. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the cathedral's dominant presence and fortress-like exterior were intended to convey the power and authority of the Christian faith.

The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. Notable architectural features include the bell-tower (added in 1492), which stands 78 meters tall, and the doorway by Dominique de Florence (added circa 1392).

The elaborate interior stands in stark contrast to the cathedral's military exterior. The central chœur, reserved for members of the religious order, is surrounded by a roodscreen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgement, attributed to unknown Flemish painters, originally covered nearly 200 m² (the central area was later removed). The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France.

The cathedral organ, the work of the artist Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.




UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - Sainte-Cécile Basilica




Reference : FR110

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - La basilique Sainte Cécile (XIIIème s.) dominant le Tarn"

Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



Albi cathedral



Albi Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi (in full, Albi-Castres-Lavaur).

The present cathedral was preceded by other buildings. The first dated from the fourth century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the thirteenth century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.

The Gothic cathedral which we see today was constructed in brick between 1282 to 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy and the brutal crusade which suppressed it, with great loss of life. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the cathedral's dominant presence and fortress-like exterior were intended to convey the power and authority of the Christian faith.

The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. Notable architectural features include the bell-tower (added in 1492), which stands 78 meters tall, and the doorway by Dominique de Florence (added circa 1392).

The elaborate interior stands in stark contrast to the cathedral's military exterior. The central chœur, reserved for members of the religious order, is surrounded by a roodscreen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgement, attributed to unknown Flemish painters, originally covered nearly 200 m² (the central area was later removed). The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France.

The cathedral organ, the work of the artist Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.




UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Episcopal city of ALBI - Sainte-Cécile Basilica




Reference : FR109

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"ALBI (Tarn) - La basilique Sainte Cécile (XIIIème s.) dominant
le Palais de la Berbie et le Pont Vieux sur le Tarn"


Location of ALBI in FRANCE :



Albi cathedral



Albi Cathedral (French: Cathédrale Sainte-Cécile d'Albi) is the most important religious building in Albi, southern France. It is the seat of the Archbishop of Albi (in full, Albi-Castres-Lavaur).

The present cathedral was preceded by other buildings. The first dated from the fourth century and in 666 was destroyed by fire. The second is recorded in 920 by the name of Saint Cecilia, the present-day patroness of musicians. It was replaced in the thirteenth century by a Romanesque cathedral in stone.

The Gothic cathedral which we see today was constructed in brick between 1282 to 1480 in the wake of the Albigensian heresy and the brutal crusade which suppressed it, with great loss of life. In the aftermath of the bloodshed, the cathedral's dominant presence and fortress-like exterior were intended to convey the power and authority of the Christian faith.

The cathedral is built in the Southern Gothic Style. Notable architectural features include the bell-tower (added in 1492), which stands 78 meters tall, and the doorway by Dominique de Florence (added circa 1392).

The elaborate interior stands in stark contrast to the cathedral's military exterior. The central chœur, reserved for members of the religious order, is surrounded by a roodscreen with detailed filigree stone work and a group of polychrome statues. Below the organ, a fresco of the Last Judgement, attributed to unknown Flemish painters, originally covered nearly 200 m² (the central area was later removed). The frescoes on the enormous vaulted ceiling comprise the largest and oldest ensemble of Italian Renaissance painting in France.

The cathedral organ, the work of the artist Christophe Moucherel, dates from the 18th century.




UNESCO w.h.s. :

Episcopal City of Albi

Date of inscription : 2010

On the banks of the Tarn river in south-west France, the old city of Albi reflects the culmination of a medieval architectural and urban ensemble. Today the Old Bridge (Pont-Vieux), the Saint-Salvi quarter and its church are testimony to its initial development (10th -11th centuries). Following the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathar heretics (13th century) it became a powerful episcopal city. Built in a unique southern French Gothic style from local brick in characteristic red and orange colours, the lofty fortified Cathedral (late 13th century) dominates the city, demonstrating the power regained by the Roman Catholic clergy. Alongside the Cathedral is the vast bishop’s Palais de la Berbie, overlooking the river and surrounded by residential quarters that date back to the Middle Ages. The Episcopal City of Albi forms a coherent and homogeneous ensemble of monuments and quarters that has remained largely unchanged over the centuries.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

GERS - Le Gers, landcapes with sunflowers




Reference : FR108

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"LE GERS - Paysage aux tournesols"

Location of the department LE GERS in FRANCE :




The Gers is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France named after the Gers River.
It is surrounded by the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Lot-et-Garonne, Landes, and Pyrénées-Atlantiques. The Gers is often referred to as amongst the least densely populated, or most rural, areas in all of Western Europe.

The Gers is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Guyenne and Gascony.

The inhabitants of the department are called les Gersois.

The culture is largely agricultural, with great emphasis on the local gastronomical specialties such as:

  • Armagnac brandy,
  • Côtes de Gascogne,
  • Floc de Gascogne,
  • foie gras,
  • and wild mushrooms.

Also, some prominent cultivated crops are corn, colza, sunflowers and grain.

The Gascon language is a dialect of Occitan, but it is not widely spoken.The department is characterised by sleepy bastide villages and rolling hills with the Pyrenees visible to the south.

Alexandre Dumas, père created the famous Gersois d'Artagnan, the fourth musketeer of The Three Musketeers. A museum to d'Artagnan is found in the Gersois village of Lupiac.

A380 : flight for certification on South-western France



Reference : FR107

POSTCARD NOT AVAILABLE FOR TRADE (OR WITH DELAY)
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"Vol régional pour certification de l'A380.
Assemblé à TOULOUSE, capitale aéronautique européenne,
l'A380 en vol de certification au dessus de la région Sud-Ouest."


The Airbus A380 is a double-deck, wide-body, four-engine airliner manufactured by the European corporation Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS, and assembled in TOULOUSE, capital aeronautical european.
The largest passenger airliner in the world, the A380 made its maiden flight on 27 April 2005 from Toulouse, France, and made its first commercial flight on 25 October 2007 from Singapore to Sydney with Singapore Airlines. The aircraft was known as the Airbus A3XX during much of its development phase, but the nickname Superjumbo has since become associated with it.


Friday, August 6, 2010

Routes Santiago de Compostela - TOULOUSE, basilica Saint-Sernin




Reference : FR106

POSTCARD AVAILABLE FOR TRADE
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"TOULOUSE - La Basilique St-Sernin avec son clocher du XIIIème siècle
qui est l'une des plus belles oeuvres d'architecture romane d'Europe."

Location of TOULOUSE in FRANCE :



The Way of St. James or St. James' Way (Spanish : El Camino de Santiago, French : Chemin de St-Jacques) is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.

The Way of St. James is said to have originated in France, where it is called Le Chemin de St. Jacques de Compostelle. This is the reason that the Spanish themselves refer to the Way of St. James as "the French road", since most of the pilgrims they saw were French. The origin of the pilgrimage is most often cited as the Codex Calixtinus, which is decidedly a French document. Though in the Codex everyone was called upon to join the pilgrimage, there were four main starting points in the Cathedral cities of Tours, Vézelay, Le Puy-en-Velay and Arles. They are today all routes of the Grande Randonnée network.

TOULOUSE

Toulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Toulouse metropolitan area is the sixth-largest in France.
Toulouse was the capital of the former province of Languedoc (provinces were abolished during the French Revolution). It is now the Chef-lieu of the Midi-Pyrénées region, the largest region in metropolitan France. It is also the Chef-lieu of the Haute-Garonne department.

BASILICA SAINT-SERNIN

The Basilica of St. Sernin is a church in Toulouse, France, the former abbey church of the Abbey of St. Sernin or St. Saturnin. It was built in the Romanesque style between about 1080 and 1120. It is located on the site of a previous basilica of the 4th century which contained the body of Saint Saturnin or Sernin, the first bishop of Toulouse in c. 250.

The abbey of St. Sernin was an ancient foundation, but its importance increased enormously after Charlemagne donated a quantity of relics to it, as a result of which it became an important stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, and a pilgrimage location in its own right. The current building was built to accommodate these pilgrims.

The plan of the abbey church here was also used in the construction of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, "begun in 1082, too direct a copy to have been done by any but St. Sernin's own architect or his favorite pupil", but finished much earlier.

The stone that killed Simon de Montfort in 1218, while he was besieging Toulouse, was thrown from the roof of St. Sernin's.

In 1860, Viollet-le-Duc restored the church, but his changes are currently being removed to restore the original appearance.

More on Basilica Saint-Sernin official website (in french)


THE ARLES WAY

The route from Italy, the Via Tolosana, becomes the Arles Way (French : La voie d'Arles or Chemin d'Arles) in southern France, named after that principal cathedral city. It goes through Montpellier, Toulouse and Oloron-Sainte-Marie before reaching the Spanish border at Col du Somport in the high Pyrenees. There it connects to the Aragonese Way, and as such is the only French route not to connect to the Camino Francés at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.




UNESCO w.h.s. :

Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France

Date of inscription : 1998

Santiago de Compostela was the supreme goal for countless thousands of pious pilgrims who converged there from all over Europe throughout the Middle Ages. To reach Spain pilgrims had to pass through France, and the group of important historical monuments included in this inscription marks out the four routes by which they did so.

Routes Santiago de Compostela - TOULOUSE, basilica Saint-Sernin




Reference : FR105

NOT AVAILABLE FOR TRADE AT THE MOMENT
Size : 10 x 15 cm


"TOULOUSE - Ville d'Art
Sur un fond de Pyrénées au couchant
La basilique Romane de Saint-Sernin (XIIème)
Le Couvent des Cordeliers (XIVème)
et le Couvent des Jacobins (XIVème)"

Location of TOULOUSE in FRANCE :



The Way of St. James or St. James' Way (Spanish : El Camino de Santiago, French : Chemin de St-Jacques) is the pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition has it that the remains of the apostle Saint James are buried.

The Way of St. James is said to have originated in France, where it is called Le Chemin de St. Jacques de Compostelle. This is the reason that the Spanish themselves refer to the Way of St. James as "the French road", since most of the pilgrims they saw were French. The origin of the pilgrimage is most often cited as the Codex Calixtinus, which is decidedly a French document. Though in the Codex everyone was called upon to join the pilgrimage, there were four main starting points in the Cathedral cities of Tours, Vézelay, Le Puy-en-Velay and Arles. They are today all routes of the Grande Randonnée network.

TOULOUSE

Toulouse is a city in southwest France on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Toulouse metropolitan area is the sixth-largest in France.
Toulouse was the capital of the former province of Languedoc (provinces were abolished during the French Revolution). It is now the Chef-lieu of the Midi-Pyrénées region, the largest region in metropolitan France. It is also the Chef-lieu of the Haute-Garonne department.

BASILICA SAINT-SERNIN

The Basilica of St. Sernin is a church in Toulouse, France, the former abbey church of the Abbey of St. Sernin or St. Saturnin. It was built in the Romanesque style between about 1080 and 1120. It is located on the site of a previous basilica of the 4th century which contained the body of Saint Saturnin or Sernin, the first bishop of Toulouse in c. 250.

The abbey of St. Sernin was an ancient foundation, but its importance increased enormously after Charlemagne donated a quantity of relics to it, as a result of which it became an important stop for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela, and a pilgrimage location in its own right. The current building was built to accommodate these pilgrims.

The plan of the abbey church here was also used in the construction of the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, "begun in 1082, too direct a copy to have been done by any but St. Sernin's own architect or his favorite pupil", but finished much earlier.

The stone that killed Simon de Montfort in 1218, while he was besieging Toulouse, was thrown from the roof of St. Sernin's.

In 1860, Viollet-le-Duc restored the church, but his changes are currently being removed to restore the original appearance.

More on Basilica Saint-Sernin official website (in french)


THE ARLES WAY

The route from Italy, the Via Tolosana, becomes the Arles Way (French : La voie d'Arles or Chemin d'Arles) in southern France, named after that principal cathedral city. It goes through Montpellier, Toulouse and Oloron-Sainte-Marie before reaching the Spanish border at Col du Somport in the high Pyrenees. There it connects to the Aragonese Way, and as such is the only French route not to connect to the Camino Francés at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.



UNESCO w.h.s. :

Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France

Date of inscription : 1998

Santiago de Compostela was the supreme goal for countless thousands of pious pilgrims who converged there from all over Europe throughout the Middle Ages. To reach Spain pilgrims had to pass through France, and the group of important historical monuments included in this inscription marks out the four routes by which they did so.